NSD students lead state in earning software certifications

NSD students lead state in earning software certifications; Nampa High students earn the most through Imagine Academy

Nampa School District students led the state in earning Microsoft certifications through the Microsoft Imagine Academy in 2015-16.

NSD students and staff earned more than 1,000 certifications in programs such as Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, etc. NSD’s certification made up nearly 30% of the more than 3,600 certifications statewide total and Nampa High School led the state with 525 certifications.

Microsoft Imagine Academy courses are available to students in grades 9-12 as a result of special funding provided by the Idaho Legislature. In part, the Legislature sought to improve the job skills and employability of the state’s young men and women preparing to enter the labor force or going on to college or other post-secondary education.

The free self-paced on-line courses provide students with the knowledge to test for specialist, expert and master certifications in those and other Microsoft programs, allowing students to build a resume attractive to employers. It also gives them the ability to achieve in post-secondary education where knowledge of those programs is needed for coursework and it is often assumed students already have those skills.

Here’s a breakdown of the more than 1,000 certifications earned by students and staff at NSD’s three high schools: